Category Archives: Bo Dietl

Mayoral candidate Bo Dietl today held his second campaign press conference, covering an eclectic mix of topics as he works at pushing his quixotic candidacy ahead. Healthcare, calling for a new investigation of Mayor de Blasio, possibly running as a Republican, Donald Trump, PBA support for a Democratic mayoral candidate and a few more chapters on Mayor de Blasio filled about 30 minutes with three reporters.

Mayoral candidate Bo Dietl has had an about-face on the prospect of taking a Wilson-Pakula and running on the Republican line.

Under New York election law candidates may seek to run on the line of a party that they’re not registered in only with the permission of the party, granted via a “Wilson-Pakula” waiver. Dietl, who initially wanted to challenge Mayor de Blasio in the Democratic primary, ended up as a man without a party after the Board of Elections rejected the form he submitted seeking to change his registration from Republican to Democratic as improperly completed. Dietl now plans to run on a self-created ballot line, “NYC Cares.”

He began by saying that “since the other day, I’ve been contacted a lot” and then stating that “if the Republican Party feels as though they want to use this Wilson-Pakula or whatever its called and wants to give me the Republican line I will take it.” His lengthy response included saying that he’s scheduled to meet Monday with two Republican county leaders to discuss the prospect of a Wilson-Pakula. Dietl declined to say which County leaders he’s meeting with, saying that “maybe they’ll get slapped around by the Republican Party.” He also invited a Democratic Wilson-Pakula, saying “maybe the Democrats want to come and Wilson-Pakula me too, I’ll take their Wilson-Pakula too, I’ll take everybody’s Wilson-Pakula.”

Dietl on a Wilson-Pakula:

Expanded Response:

Here’s Dietl’s full response to my question, which includes a lengthy criticism of Mayor de Blasio:

Writer Jimmy Breslin, whose outrage at societal wrongs and interest in people combined in a novelized reporting style that powerfully captured the New York of his era, was memorialized in a funeral Wednesday at the Upper West Side’s Church of the Blessed Sacrament. Among the several hundred mourners were several Cuomos, including Governor Andrew, broadcaster Chris and their mother Matilda. Contemporaries Mario Cuomo and Breslin had a decades-long close relationship, which Andrew Cuomo movingly described in his eulogy.

Bo Dietl held a campaign kick-off press conference today on the steps of City Hall for his quixotic mayoral campaign, moving forward after a muffed attempt at shifting his party registration from Republican to Democratic. Dietl, who initially wanted to challenge Mayor de Blasio in the Democratic primary, ended up as a man without a party after the Board of Elections rejected the form he submitted as improperly completed. Dietl now plans to run on a self-created ballot line, “New York Cares.”

Under New York election law candidates may seek to run on the line of a party that they’re not registered in only with the permission of the party, granted via a “Wilson-Pakula” waiver. I’ve heard that some Republican party leaders are considering offering Dietl a Wilson-Pakula and asked him about it today. Here’s what he had to say: